THE PLAY: Shakespeare’s tragedy about a king who divides his kingdom among his daughters, only to be betrayed. Meanwhile, the Earl of Gloucester’s sons vie for their father’s legacy.

 

THE PRODUCTION: This is a production where all the elements come together: a cast that’s strong (from Joe Inscoe in the title role to every supporting character), nimble staging by director Jan Powell and adept technical support.  With all of this going for it, little of the “general woe” sticks emotionally. Even when you can’t follow the complex plot thru the dialogue, the agile physicality of Powell’s staging helps clarify the intrigue. Her creation of a fool duo (John Mincks & Killian Winn) added acrobatic energy to their scenes. while the raging storm and brief battle were particularly well staged (although some of the sword play is a bit clumsy). The barren landscape of rocks, platforms and bushes by Tennessee Dixon and the basic wash of light from BJ Wilkinson were functional, but not especially artistic. Tom Hammond’s sometimes rich / sometime rustic costumes added simple elegance.

 

THE POINT: While the cast is uniformly strong and the staging is confident, all the strife and suffering leave little impact.

 

(3.5 / 5)

 

A Quill Theatre production at VMFA’s Leslie Cheek Theater thru 4/23